We all have old photographs at home. Some of those photos may be in old traditional photo albums, maybe some in a shoebox somewhere, or even those select few placed in a picture frame. Overtime, old photos can take on a yellowish colouring and even begin to fray or fall apart. What’s important is the memory and history that these old photos hold. To help preserve them, we highly recommend scanning those images into digital files.

Here are a few tips for scanning your images:

1. Make sure the scanners platen (the glass scanning bed) is clean and void of any dust or dirt. You will want to clean the platen multiple times throughout the scanning process as old photos tend to have more dust and dirt on them.
2. Take time lining the photographs up so that you scan them straight. You don’t want to have crooked photos to work with later.
3. You will want to save your photographs as a JPG format. This will be the best quality and size file to work with.
4. We recommend you scan each photo at 300 DPI. This will ensure the best print quality without having a photo size that is too large.
5. We also recommend you scan your photos with a RGB (Red Green Blue) colour space instead of CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Key) . This will make for the truest print; closely matching what you see on screen.

After you’ve scanned old photos remember to back your files up on an external hard drive or an USB stick. Following this, sort through the digital files, place them into newly named folders and start creating your photo book. Photo books are the ideal keepsake for archiving old photographs as the paper is archival and acid-free and won’t yellow or fade over time. It most cases, old photos are family members and can result in a fantastic family history book and heirloom that will be passed down for years to come.

Looking into the past really does make you appreciate your roots and how far you and your family have come. Scanning your old photos can be a fun and memorable trip down memory lane.

Happy scanning!

Whether it is 1977, Lo-fi, X Pro II or Hefe, you can make an Instagram Photobook easily with our Photobook Designer.  Using your instagram photos that you have taken on your phone, you can make a cool collection of these photos into series of photobooks.

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“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”
― Eudora Welty

There is so much to know about cameras and photography. It will forever be a work in progress and there is always something new to learn. We have got some basics that will help you get your feet off the ground.

Get to know your camera.

Your camera has a lot of functions available so it’s best to read the manual and play around with the settings to get familiar with them. After you have the basics down then move on to the more complex functions.  Every camera have different functionality and its best to refer to the user manuals or user forums to maximize the use of your camera.

Take a lot of photos.

The only way to learn is obviously to keep on experimenting with your new camera.  Be not afraid to snap continuously on every subject you like as there may be different preferences for different people.  Once you’ve done taking the photos, transfer them to the computer to get a better visual of the photographs you have taken and the settings you’ve used to take those pictures.  Compare notes so that you learn from the photos you’ve taken.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Often photography can be an overwhelming and technical task.  Trusting your gut can be a beginner’s best option. Photography is art and also an emotionally personal experience.  If it feels right, it probably is.

The rule of thirds.

This rule is probably the most basic rule that any photographer should know.  The premise of the rule of thirds is that you divide your camera’s frame into 9 equal parts; three row across, and three rows down.  The theory is that the focal point of the photograph should fall along one of the lines or at an intersection.  This rule is to help with basic composition and will also help the viewer’s eye travel around your photograph instead of being planted on one particular area.

Rule of Thirds

Learn from Photography Resources

The best way to learn is to reference with the professionals, and there are many freely available resource available on the internet.  For a start, you can check out Phototuts+ which is a great resource for photography beginners.  They provide basic tutorials on white balance, aperture, shutter speed, lighting and other more complex topics which are highly suitable for photography enthusiast.

Happy learning!